Liberty star Breanna Stewart is set to join forces with a teammate of old and one of now during Unrivaled’s debut season.
Stewart, a co-founder of Unrivaled, was drafted to the Mist on Wednesday along with Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot and Storm guard Jewell Loyd.
Sun guard Dijonai Carrington, Sparks forward Rickea Jackson and Mystics forward Aaliyah Edwards round out the Mist, one of six six-player teams that are set to play in the new 3-on-3 basketball league, starting early next year.
Stewart, who was reacting live to the YouTube broadcast of the club selection, seemed quite pleased with her grouping.
“Oh my team is good,” Stewart wrote on X.
The Mist will be coached by longtime NBA assistant coach Phil Handy, who most recently worked on the Lakers bench.
Throughout the 22-minute YouTube broadcast of the club selection — a specific run time that some speculated could hint that Caitlin Clark may soon join the league — Handy was one of six coaches who debated on which player should go to which team. There was a clear emphasis on pairing players who will not only complement one another’s style but help with further developing each players’ skills.
In fact, part of the reason Stewart and Napheesa Collier teamed up to launch Unrivaled Basketball was to give WNBA players an opportunity to not only earn money but continue to grow their games in the U.S., rather than having to spend their offseason playing overseas to supplement their incomes.
All six coaches — Handy, Teresa Weatherspoon, Adam Harrington, DJ Sackmann, Nola Henry and Andrew Wade — have backgrounds in player development.
Unrivaled’s eight-week season is scheduled to tip off Jan. 17 in Miami and is loaded with All-Stars, including Angel Reese, Brittney Griner, Arike Ogunbowale and Chelsea Gray.
The rosters have been set, and coaches assigned, for the inaugural Unrivaled Basketball season.
Here’s a full breakdown of each team:
Vinyl
Coached by former Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon
Arike Ogunbowale, G, Dallas Wings; Rhyne Howard, G, Atlanta Dream; Aliyah Boston, F, Indiana Fever; Rae Burrell, G, Los Angeles Sparks; Jordin Canada, G, Seattle Storm; Dearica Hamby, F, Los Angeles Sparks
Rose
Coached by former Sparks player development coach Nola Henry
Chelsea Gray, G, Las Vegas Aces; Kahleah Copper, G, Phoenix Mercury; Angel Reese, F, Chicago Sky; Lexie Hull, G, Indiana Fever; Brittney Sykes, G, Washington Mystics; Azura Stevens, F, Los Angeles Sparks
Mist
Coached by longtime NBA assistant coach Phil Handy
Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm; Dijonai Carrington, G, Connecticut Sun; Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty; Courtney Vandersloot, G, New York Liberty; Rickea Jackson, F, Los Angeles Sparks; Aaliyah Edwards, F, Washington Mystics
Lunar Owls
Coached by NBA/WNBA skills coach DJ Sackmann
Skylar Diggins-Smith, G, Seattle Storm; Allisha Gray, G, Atlanta Dream; Napheesa Collier, F, Minnesota Lynx; Natasha Cloud, G, Phoenix Mercury; Shakira Austin, F, Washington Mystics; Wild card*
Phantom
Coached by former Nets assistant and director of player development Adam Harrington
Jackie Young, G, Las Vegas Aces; Marina Mabrey, G, Connecticut Sun; Satou Sabally, F, Dallas Wings; Tiffany Hayes, G, Las Vegas Aces; Brittney Griner, F, Phoenix Mercury; Wild card*
Laces
Coached by Mystics player development assistant coach Andrew Wade
Kelsey Plum, G, Las Vegas Aces; Kayla McBride, G, Minnesota Lynx; Alyssa Thomas, F, Connecticut Sun; Courtney Williams, G, Minnesota Lynx; Kate Martin, G, Las Vegas Aces; Stefanie Dolson, F, Washington Mystics
* The two wild cards are open roster spots that are expected to be filled at a later date.
